Tag: Spain (Page 2 of 6)

Victory points

• German
• Spanish surrender – 50
• Capture government – 10
• Government goes into exile – 5
• Terror bombing – 6 (3 hits)
• Hits on Naval units – 72 (9 hits)
• Enemy losses – 34 (3 elim air units – 12, 7 aborted air units – 14, 7 REs in repl pool, 1 c/m – 8)
• Territory – 60 (6 major city hexes) + 60 (12 dot cities) + 40 (20 reference cities) = 160

Total: 337

• Allied
• Allied ground units present in Spain from Jul I – 400 (8 turns)
• Territory – 100 (Gibraltar) +70 (Canary Islands) +10 (Ifni & Spanish Sahara) = 180
• Enemy Losses – 12 (3 aborted air units)
• Exile forces – 24 (3 task forces in play) +4 (1 air unit in play) +102 (51 REs in play) = 130

Total: 722

Result: Allied decisive victory

Commentary

As the scenario is hypothetical, it is obviously difficult to compare the game as played to any potential real-world events. However, with the materials at hand, I have the following observations about this game

1. It is rather one sided, and quite suitable for solitaire play. In my view it is similar to First to Fight, as the Allies have few chances to attack and only one real strategy – delay.
2. The forces available to the Germans are not the right kind of units and are insufficient in number for the job at hand. Considering the terrain in Spain, there should be a lot more mountain, jaeger and other specialised units as part of the invasion force. Also, the Spanish have roughly one division for every German division, a ratio which is difficult to quickly overwhelm, even with strong air and armoured assets.
3. It would have been interesting to see an option for Italian involvement via the Regia Marina. A case could be made that the Italians could have been promised Vichy territories in return for their participation, and it would have made life for the Royal Navy a bit more challenging, at least in the Mediterranean.
4. The victory point table is rather unrealistic. In the scenario as played, the Germans did not take Gibraltar, but they conquered Spain with minimal losses, and would have been able to significantly impact naval traffic through the straits of Gibraltar. However, the scenario result was a decisive Allied Victory. There are two VP awards that seem out of place – points for controlling off map areas that the Germans can never reach, and the 50 points per turn after Jul I that there are supplied Allied units on the Spanish mainland. This is a very high penalty, and seems to imply that the Germans have somewhere else to be. If they are still planning to launch Operation Barbarossa after attacking Spain, then I view that as extremely ambitious. Nonetheless, it is very difficult for the Germans to make the Spanish fall over in a hurry due to several factors – terrain, the surrender rules and the supply rules
5. The supply and rail conversion rules are a big impediment to the Axis. They cannot use the Iberian rail net for supply until they have 10REs of capacity on that net. This is difficult to achieve, since they must capture at least Madrid, Barcelona and 6 dot cities, plus use all their resource points to permanently increase capacity up to 10. The other problem is that they have only two RR engineers, and they can only regauge 2 hexes each per turn to European gauge with the rules as written. It has been pointed out to me that these rules are in fact in error, and the FitE rules should be used, but I had already started the game so kept going with the RAW.
6. Partisans are very effective tool for the Allies, who receive 3 attacks per turn. The only restriction is that an attack cannot take place in an enemy occupied hex. Without any security troops, the Axis is very vulnerable to these operations.

Initial Phase: All units are in supply, however all Spanish units are halved due to demoralisation. All German air units are assigned to Naval patrol. No Allied units are replaced this turn. The Allies have no ARPs left to bring back any aircraft this turn. All the active German Me109s plus 2 Me110C1s fly CAP over Gibraltar. Spanish guerrilla units are ordered to lay low and begin to prepare stockpiles for a resumed sabotage campaign in the spring of 1942.

Movement Phase: The Allied fleet that has been providing fire support for the ground forces is sitting in the Straits of Gibraltar. Luftwaffe units fly as many sorties as they can in an attempt to send it fleeing. First contact is made by 2 Me109Es escorting a Ju87 from Jerez. Two Hurricanes from Tetuan intercept, and 1 tries to bypass the screen. The bypassing unit is shot down, while the other two fighters return each other. AA fire from the fleet is on the mark however, and the dive bombers are aborted without causing any damage. Missions from Sevilla, Malaga and hex 3419 fail to find the Allied ships due to a mixture of fog and cloud in the area. Having survived the aerial assault this turn, the Allied fleet rotates the LC on ferry crossing duty, and also refuels, tying up at the Gibraltar docks.

The forces that successfully defended LA Linea de la Concepcion are ordered over the Straits to Spanish Morocco. They all move to Ceuta, except for the British 7th Artillery brigade which stops in Gibraltar. To make room for them, the Allied armour moves west to Alcazarquivir and the units that were in Ceuta enter 4128.

Combat Phase: No combat

Exploitation Phase: No activity

End of Turn Summary

The Germans call off their campaign at this point and the game ends. Spain has been conquered with minimal losses but there is no reasonable prospect of taking Gibraltar since there are no resource points to assemble to special artillery units and the weather is about to become mud.

Losses

• Spanish Unisolated – 0
• Spanish Isolated – 0
• Spanish Air – 0

• German Unisolated – 0
• German Isolated – 0
• German Air – 1A

• British Unisolated – 0
• British Isolated – 0
• British Air – 1A

Initial Phase: All units are in supply, however all Spanish units are halved due to demoralisation. All German bombers are assigned to Naval patrol.

Spain has lost its last mainland replacement city, so it only receives 0.5 Inf RPs in the Canaries (2.5 available) and 0.5 Colonial Inf RPs in Spanish Morocco (2.5 available), plus 3 Special RPs are received. 2 Colonial Inf RPs are spent to bring back the Tdl Infantry regiment (2-6 version) in Melilla, while the 12th and 13th Cavalry regiments plus the 48th Artillery regiment appear in Villa Sanjurjo. The collapse of the front means that Spain must now try to hold on to Spanish Morocco. 2 RPs are also spent in the Canaries to bring back the 83rd and 87th MG regiments in Las Palmas di Gran Canaria. The Spanish government is re-established by loyal officials on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canaries. Las Palmas di Gran Canaria is the new Spanish capital.

British casualties were high last turn, with the defeat at Sevilla. They receive 3 more Inf RPs from production plus 1 Special RP to give them a total of 9, while 1 more Arm RP is received to increase the pool to 6. All 9 Inf RPs are used to reform the 43rd infantry division and 25th Infantry brigade in Gibraltar. The Allies have no ARPs left to bring back any aircraft this turn. 3 Allied fighters from Malaga fly CAP over Gibraltar. Due to the imminent threat to Gibraltar, the Home Fleet is activated in Britain.

Spanish freedom fighters are disheartened by the capture of the government, but fight on nonetheless, attacking rail hexes in Lerida, Valladolid and Tomelloso. Only the attack against Valladolid is effective enough to cause rail disruption. A fort is constructed at La Linea de La Concepcion by the 2nd Construction regiment and 2nd Combat engineer regiment.

Movement Phase: The Allied High Command calls a general retreat. All Spanish units are ordered to get to Spanish Morocco or the Canaries by any means, while British units will fall back to Gibraltar.

The Allied fleet deploys to assist the evacuation of Spain. Firstly, the Swordfish loaded aboard the carrier group in Gibraltar transfer to Ceuta. The Allied fleet heads out at night, in 4 separate operations. Force H escorts the Spanish Landing Craft LC-1 out to the straits to act as a ferry. The Spanish BB group escorts 2 transports to Huelva to pick up the 88th and 90th MG regiments. 2 Spanish NTs dock at Malaga, while 6 British transports slip into Cadiz. The German air units in Sevilla attempt to locate the Allied fleet which is in the Straits of Gibraltar. However, persistent cloud cover prevents contact being made.

The Spanish ships sent to Huelva have a problem. Just as they are within sight of the port, dawn breaks, rendering them vulnerable to air attack. Air units from Cordoba do not find anything but 3 He111s from 3421 spot the Spanish trying to sneak through just outside the port. The AA guns of the battleship are unable to make a significant dent in the attackers. Two hits are achieved, further damaging the capital ship, and a transport is sunk. 16 more VPs for the Axis.

Despite the damage, a significant number of Spanish troops are able to be loaded up and transported to Spanish Morocco. The 88th MG regiment is taken to Tangier, the 38th and 39th Infantry regiments are evacuated from Malaga to Villa Sanjurjo, and the entire Cadiz garrison (6 leg infantry regiments) boards its transports and is shipped to Larache, Tangier and Ceuta. Under cover of darkness, none of the transports are seen by any Axis forces, and they all return to base in Gibraltar. The heavily damaged BB group heads into Gibraltar to attempt repairs.

The Home Fleet departs England and heads south, ending the phase in the port of Gibraltar. Allied units fall back wherever possible. The Spanish 31st Infantry division, 4Car Border regiment and 16th Guardia Civil regiment retreat to Malaga, where they are hoping to be picked up by sea. The 93rd Infantry cadre is also ordered to Malaga but is slowed by mountainous terrain. It moves from 3920 as far as Velez Malaga.

In Spanish Morocco, the S Naval Infantry regiment and 5th Construction engineers leave Ceuta and take up positions in Tetuan. The 5Car border regiment is sent to Cadiz from Jerez de La Frontera. In Gibraltar, there is an overstack due to reinforcements, so the British 25th Infantry bridage crosses the straits via the ferrying Landing craft and moves to Tetuan. The 2 Gib Static brigade is also sent across the Straits, but it can only reach Ceuta due to its slow movement rate. All the Allied armour is to be sent over the Straits as well, but it only moves as far as Algeciras in this phase.

The secondary Gibraltar perimeter is unable to be held in sufficient strength, so the Allied units reorganise to the smallest profile that they can. La Linea de La Concepcion is occupied by the 102nd Infantry division, 86th and 89th MG Regiments, 1LE Infantry regiment, and British 8th Artillery and 20th Guards Infantry brigades. The outer bastion of 3726 is held by a rearguard of the 61st, 36th and 37th Infantry regiments.

The 4 Engineer and Infantry units that were in La Linea de La Concepcion are weak, but nonetheless manage to make their escape to Africa via admin movement. They end movement in Xauen in the Rif mountains. Tangier is overstacked due to forces arriving by sea, so the 6MK Colonial regiment leaves and moves next door into Arcilah.

Combat Phase: No combat

Exploitation Phase: Force H and the Spanish fleet spend 30MPs replenishing their fuel and then prepare their guns for NGS. The Home Fleet also sorties into the straits and prepares its guns for NGS. The Allied armour crosses the Straits and ends movement in 4128. Allied CAP fighters land at Tetuan.

End of Turn Summary

Spain will surrender next turn but it will have little effect on the game – no Spanish units will surrender due to the length of time taken by the Germans to conquer them. The Germans now control 99% of the country. A significant portion of Allied units has been able to get away into North Africa which will be very helpful to the cause. Spanish units are halved next turn, but the Royal Navy should be able to protect the hex outside Gibraltar for at least a short while, hopefully long enough for the rains to arrive.

Losses

• Spanish Unisolated – 0
• Spanish Isolated – 0
• Spanish Air – 0

• German Unisolated – 0
• German Isolated – 0
• German Air – 0

• British Unisolated – 0
• British Isolated – 0
• British Air – 0

Initial Phase: The Weather remains clear in Zones D and E, but the Atlantic and Mediterranean remain rough. All units are in supply Spain generates 3 GSPs in Sevilla. Germany uses 3 ARPs to replace an aborted Me109E and an eliminated He111. The fighters are brought on at Jaen and the bombers at Madrid. No units are in the replacement pool to reactivate this turn. From Sevilla, Spanish Me109s are joined by British Hurricanes and Spitfires in a CAP mission over the Allied armour in 3619.

Movement Phase: The 1st RR Engineer regiment repairs the rail hit in 2412 north of Madrid, then moves to 2511. This allows the 22nd Air Landing division to entrain and head north to the mountains of Galicia. It ends its movement in 1013 with the 15th Mountain Corps. However, the 15th splits up in order to surround the Spanish units in 0914. The 3rd Mountain division moves to 0915 while the 2nd Mountain division heads around the other flank to Monforte de Lemos. The 98th Mountain regiment stays with the 22nd Air Landing in 1013, and the two regiments of the 11th Infantry also move into that hex. The AT guns of the 616th battalion stay in reserve in 1113.

In the German rear near Barcelona, the port of Tarragona is occupied by a regiment of the 263rd Infantry division, as a precaution against any Allied amphibious landings. Nearby the 4th RR Engineer repairs a hit in 3530 before regauging the hex. In the west, the 5th Infantry division is ordered to moves down the road towards Caceres, which it does via admin movement, and it ends its turn in the reference city.

As the Allied line has been pushed back, it is now out of range of some of the forward airbases constructed last turn. Therefore closer fields are required. To facilitiate this, some shuffling of Engineer units takes place. Firstly, the 108th Construction regiment moves to 3313. This frees the 674th Combat Engineer regiment to advance towards the front to 3516. It is joined there by the 512th Combat Engineers, who move south from Cuidad Real. Together they use quick construction to build a temporary airfield in the hex.

Next, the 71st Construction regiment uses rail movement to get to the airfield in 3312. Following that, the 604th Combat Engineer can now move ahead to 3415. Along the way it picks up the 667th from 3313, and they combine to clear an airfield in 3415. A final temporary airfield is built in 3215 by the 517th Combat Engineer, which advances from 3213. The maintenance of the 3213 airfield is taken over by the 519th Engineer regiment from 3211.

Meticulous preparations are made before the assault on the Allied front line. After much analysis it is decided that there will be 3 points of attack. The largest concentration of defenders is in Cordoba, so 3 full Corps are sent to deal with it. The 65th moves around the north flank to 3220, the 25th with its tanks is ordered to 3219, and the 66th moves laterally across the German positions and the Guadalquivir river to 3319. Looking south, the Colonial units in 3620 are considered a weak link. The 64th Corps moves forward to assembly positions in 3519 and the 53rd advances into 3419. Finally, the 23rd and 92nd divisions in 3719 are targeted for an armoured thrust, despite the unfavourable terrain. The 33rd Corps moves into Martos, overrunning the British 8th Artillery brigade which was left behind last turn. This is the first British casualty of the campaign. The German 62nd Corps is kept in reserve, but it moves up to Jaen.

Combat Phase: All the Allied bombers fly defensive support over Cordoba. There are no Axis fighters in intercept range so they are unescorted. However, there are 2 effective points of AA thanks to the German 35th Corps, and it manages to abort a Whitley and a SM79-1. 2.5 points of DS are delivered for the city. 2 Me110C1s and 2 Me109Fs escort a bomb-laden Me110C4 and a unit of He111s against 3719. There is no interception or AA fire so 5 points of GS reach the target.

Cordoba is attacked by the rest of the German Luftwaffe, consisting of an escort of 4 Me109Es, and a mission force of 5 Ju87s, 3 He111s and 2 Ju88s. The fighters in the city fly up to intercept. Spanish 1-16s and British Hurricanes take on the escorts, while the Spitfires try to bypass the screen. The I-16s and Hurricanes are both aborted, while the Germans also suffer an abort to one of their Me109Es. The Spitfires get past the first fighter but are aborted by the second one. Having got past the fighters, the German bombers have to negotiate the huge barrage of AA fire that rises towards them from the ground (7 points total). All the Stukas are able to evade the flak, but a Heinkel is aborted, and a second Heinkel plus a Ju88A are returned. 25 points of GS will be added to the attack.

Cordoba is held by good quality units, including the 1st Canadian Infantry division, the Tdl Colonial infantry brigade, 3 AA regiments, plus artillery. There are not enough German tanks attacking for any ATEC modification, so the roll will be modified by -1 for rough terrain. The Allied force is worth a total of 19 plus 2.5 points of air support for a total of 21.5. Ranged against them is the 25th, 65th and 66th Corps, which are all strong units, and worth a total of 87. The Luftwaffe provides an extra 25 for a total of 112. This is enough for a 5:1 -1. 2 is rolled, modified to 1 for a HX. The Allied forces are eliminated as they cannot retreat due to ZOCs. The Germans cadre the 57th Infantry division and lose the 610th artillery from the 66th Corps, which advances into the city.

Hex 3519 is held by various non-divisional units headed by the Mar Colonial Cavalry brigade. It is attacked by the 53rd and 64th Corps. The attackers have a total of 55, while the defenders can only muster 10. There is a -1 on the roll due to the rough terrain, and the final odds are 5:1. In a carbon copy of the Cordoba assault, 2 is modified to 1 for another HX. The Spanish are destroyed, and the Germans cadre the 267th Infantry division. The 53rd Corps advances.

2 German Panzer divisions backed up by 2 Motorised divisions attack the Spanish in 3719. The unfavourable terrain ensures that there is only a +1 on the roll despite full AECA capability. The Spanish divisions holding the hex are backed up by British engineers, and they are worth 13. The German 33rd and 34th Corps, assisted by 5 points of GS have 52, for a 4:1 +1 attack. 3 comes up, modified to 4 for a DR. The Spanish and British retreat to the mountains in 3720. The 33rd Corps advances into the empty hex.

In Galicia, 3 Spanish units are surrounded by German Mountain and Air Landing divisions. The defenders are worth a mere 5, and are outgunned by the 30 points of the enemy. Rough terrain modifies the attack by -1 but it is still 6:1. In a brave effort, the Spanish fight to the last man, taking many Germans with them. A 1 comes up, modified to 0 for an EX. All the Spanish are eliminated, while the Germans lose 2 regiments of the 11th Infantry division. The 22nd Air Landing advances, as do the 2nd and 3rd Mountain divisions, and 98th Mountain regiment.

In the air return step, the Allied fighters land at Sevilla, as do all the bombers except the A-22, which go to Gibraltar. German fighters land at the newly captured Cordoba, plus Jaen and the forward temporary airfields. Long and short ranged bombers are also placed on temporary airfields.

Exploitation Phase: The 616th Motorised AT battalion is ordered south to 2115. 25th Corps is sent around the flank of the Allied forces from 3219 to 3424, on the far bank of the Genil river. From this position they are threatening the Allied supply lines.

Losses

• Spanish Unisolated – 9+9+5 = 23 (4.5 Special RPs received)
• Spanish Isolated – 0
• Spanish Air – 2A
• German Unisolated – 7+4+5 = 16 (4 Special RPs received)
• German Isolated – 0
• German Air – 2A

• British Unisolated – 4+8 = 12 (2 Special RPs received)
• British Isolated – 0
• British Air – 3A